My friend has a working 700r4 out of an '86 Caprice that got wrecked, and I want to do a high performance rebuild on it and stuff it into my '86 IROC.
Will this work?
Is the 700r4 from the Caprice also a 30-spline?
Is it as strong as the ones in Camaro's, or does it not matter since I'm doing a rebuild anyways?
Are the gear ratios the same?
I'm thinking that the only difference would be that the Caprice 700r4 shifts softer, so would the rebuild and a shift kit, make it just as good as rebuilding my current 700r4?

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'86 305 TPI 700R4
Edelbrock headers, highflow cat, borla cat-back exhaust, AFPR, modified MAF, ported plenum,
Stage 2 chip, 1.6 ratio roller tip rockers, b&m megashifter, Transgo shift kit, MSD 6AL

 

The bolt pattern should be the same, I am assuming that the caprice had at least a 305 in it. I don't know if they came w/ a V6, but if they did, I'm sure it was a 90* V6, so you should be OK.

As for gear ratios, one of the things that make it a 700 is the gear ratios. A 1983 700R4 (4L60) had the exact same gear ratios as a 2001 Corvette's 4L60-E.

As for being stronger internally, nope, sorry, it has the exact same guts as your '86 IROC.

As for shifting softer, probably, but if your installing a shift kit, depending on what all it has you replace, you probably won't notice.

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It has the same gear ratios but the Vette's and Iroc's have an oil slinger on the rear planet which helps to keep them alive in 4th. The guts are essentially the same but the calibration is way different. The Caprice will shift WOT at @4500 RPM while the Iroc should be 5500 RPM. Also the pressures will be lower as it isn't meant to handle the same pressure. Manual downshift speeds will be lower too. The ecaprice will have either a V6 or small V8 Servo but the Iroc's usually have the Vette Servo.
Shift Kitting it can help many problems that these have but it won't change those specific
alibrations. In fact it can lower the WOT shift points due to the shifts taking less time to complete- you perceive the shift to occur when it ends but it starts before that. If it ends sooner it will seem sooner.

[This message has been edited by transfixleo (edited April 29, 2001).]

 

Thanks for the info guys.

So do you think I should hold out for one from a Camaro or Firebird, or should I go ahead and try this one? It seems like if I do a full high perf rebuild and a shift kit it would shift firm, and I also thought that the prom controls the shift points, because the stage 2 prom I have is said to raise shift points a little.

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'86 305 TPI 700R4
Edelbrock headers, highflow cat, borla cat-back exhaust, AFPR, modified MAF, ported plenum,
Stage 2 chip, 1.6 ratio roller tip rockers, b&m megashifter, Transgo shift kit, MSD 6AL

 

Nope, only in the 4L60E trans does the prom or actually eeprom control the shift points.

If you still have your original trans, swapping the governor if it is in good condition will keep your original shift points. If you want higher shift points grab a governor out of a v6 car and try it, you could always change i with the trans in the car if you don't like it.

Also re-use your original accumulator springs or shim the caprices (I can't tell you how much but the more you shim, the harder the shift at all rpm's, the springs are color coded).

Also during the rebuild make sure in the pump to use dual slider springs if they are not already in there and I usually throw a 5/16" washer under the max pressure blowoff (Checkball, spring and pin)

I would recommend getting the pump kit for many reasons: you will get a new slide, vanes, and hardened rings with all the seals and springs to do it correctly. Some older trans had cast rings that would/could break. It's also important to check the pump surfaces for scoring. If it catches your fingernail, it's no good and sanding it won't make it any better.

If the trans came out of a v6 caprice (4.3L) I would also recommend re-using the input drum as the two have different dimentions allowing the v8 drum to hold more frictions/steels.

It's also a good time to add gm's b-fix kit if your car won't shift into OD at WOT.

Change all the bushings and seals....

Also if the band and 3-4 clutchs both look like hell, change the servo checkball capsule and install another capsule behind it but this one isn't a gm part (Sonnax part # 77701-076)

This part is great... I allows you to open the oil feed hole in the seperator plate without affecting 3rd release. It comes with all the instructions, but it could be a little project to get because you can't get it from sonnax, you have to find their nearest distributer.

 

Thanks for the information, in addition I just got a new governor and a vette servo before my current trans died, so I will just transfer those to the new trans.

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'86 305 TPI 700R4
Edelbrock headers, highflow cat, borla cat-back exhaust, AFPR, modified MAF, ported plenum,
Stage 2 chip, 1.6 ratio roller tip rockers, b&m megashifter, Transgo shift kit, MSD 6AL